Illuminated sign or name-plate



`(No Model.)

= A. B. KEITH.

ILLUMINATED SIGN 0R NAME PLATE. No. 258,304* Patented May 23,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS E. KEITH, or BOSTON, ASSIeNo'E To wILLIAM'w. KEITH, TRUSTEE, on NEwTonvILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN OR NAME-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 258,304, dated May 23, 1882, Application tiled February 4, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AMOS BLOOD KEITH, a citizen of the United States, residing atBoston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs or Titles; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in 1o. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the 'letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification` This invention relates to signs, name-plates, and other plates marked with characters which are phosphorescent; and it consists in combining with a plate having alayer of phosphorescent material laid thereon a second plate havzo ing characters stenciled in it, and a glass facing which protects the phosphorescent material behind these stenciled openings, but allows it to be seen in the formof illuminated characters.

mz5 The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, a perspective view, and in Fig. 2 a section, of a doorplate containing my invention.

. I have represented in saiddrawings a doorplate wherewith toillustrate the novel feature of myinvention in one ofthe various forms in which it may be adapted to useful purposes.

y A represents the door-plate, the front face of which has a Surface of luminous paint applied to it, such surface being represented by the heavy black line B in Figs. l and 2.

C representsva sheet of thin metal or other suitable material, having cnt in-it the requisite letters and figures or other desired charac- 4o ters after the mannerof an ordinary stencilplate, this sheet or plate G being secured to the front of the door-plate C in a proper Inanner, and preferably covered with a protecting glass plate, I). The luminous background C is sufficiently visible through the apertures forming the characters of the door-plate to render such address plainly perceptible in the darkness, while during the day-time it pre* sents sufficient contrast with the surrounding 5o surface to also be plainly visible.

Street-signs, olock-dials, and mottoes for the embellishment of apartments, and in fact man;r forms of titles or addresses composed of letters or figures, or the same and someiaccompanying character, are capable of being illu- 5 5 minated by my method. I am 'aware that it is not'broadly new to provide sign-plates and Similar articles with phosphorescent characters; also, thatit is not broadly new to protect' such characters by a 6o facing of glass; also, that stenciled sign-plates are not broadly new. I therefore do not claim any ot' the above features, broadly, nor the combination of one with either of the others.' My construction, however, protects the lu- 65 minous material more satisfactorily than a-ny which had previously been known in the art. The plate on which it is painted and the stenciled plate inclose it between them, so that the only spots that could be exposed are those Vop- 7o posite the stenciled letters, and these are protected by the glass plate or facing. Of course A the letters are as luminous as those of any other phosphores'cent sign, while the greater part Ot' the luminous material is protected in 75 front by two thicknesses of shielding substances, one being of metal,the other of glass.

My sign-plate can be used for a number of dierent illuminated signs without changing the illuminated surface or making any marks 8o thereon. It is only necessary to substitute one stenciled plate for another, and the characters of the sign are correspondingly changed. Without the stenciled plate the same result could only be effected by repainting theilluminatin g surface at each change ot' characters. Therefore What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination, with a plate having a fac- 9o ing of luminous `material applied thereto, a second opaque plate having characters `out through or stenciled in it and covering said luminous material, and a transparent plate, sheet, or facing which covers said stenciled characters as well as the remainder of the stenciled plate, but allows the light of the material behind to shine through in the form of illuminated characters, substantially as set forth. roo

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. i AMOS B. KEITH. WVitnesses: A

H. E. LODGE, ECURTIS. 

